


To Harry Potter, A Sword, From Godric Gryffindor

by generalzero



Series: Help Will Always Be Given [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Chamber of Secrets, Ficlet, Gen, Hogwarts House Sorting, Hogwarts Second Year, One Shot, Sword of Gryffindor, everyone has a bit of all the houses in them, inspired by the bullshit sword of gryffindor out of the sorting hat business, obsessive sorting culture is divisive my dudes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-27
Updated: 2018-03-27
Packaged: 2019-04-08 17:08:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14110080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/generalzero/pseuds/generalzero
Summary: The thing about Dumbledore was that he favored telling people what he thought they needed to hear, rather than telling them the plain truth. For example, when he told Harry Potter in second year that only a true Gryffindor could pull Godric's sword out of the Sorting Hat, he was just trying to reassure a student who was uncertain they belonged to their House. He was, however, not only lying, but wrong. A Hogwarts student belongs to *all* the Houses, and many things other than a sword have sprung mysteriously from the Sorting Hat.(or)The four Founders of Hogwarts were by no means the greatest or most powerful wixen ever known, but on Hogwarts grounds and over Hogwarts students, their influence is sacrosanct. Whether through the magic of the Sorting Hat and the castle itself, or some other cunning, mysterious means of reaching through time, help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it.





	To Harry Potter, A Sword, From Godric Gryffindor

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by:
> 
> 1) my frustration with obsessive sorting culture in fandom  
> 2) Rowling's generally lazy exploitation of the sorting mechanic in canon  
> 3) the thing where only a true gryffindor can pull godric's sword out of the sorting hat i low key detest this
> 
> Warnings: canon typical violence and language, heed the tags

If there was ever a moment for intervention, it is right now.

Salazar does  _not_ regret building the the Chamber of Secrets. Both the chamber and its guardian had served as a perfectly reasonably panic room and escape route during the centuries before the Statute of Secrecy was instituted, and since then both Chamber and guardian had slept peacefully, waiting for more troubling times to return. In Salazar's experience, troubling times always returned. Unfortunately, that damn charming Riddle boy had to come along and turn the place into a killer's lair. (Favoring Riddle in the beginning is something Salazar _does_ regret.)

And now Riddle is at it again, only this time the child destined to destroy him is caught up in the mess. Given the relative advantages and disadvantages on each side, Salazar guesses that Harry Potter is within five minutes of being eaten by a basilisk. Twelve-year old Harry Potter, a student who arguably should have been in Salazar's own house, trapped in Salazar's secret chamber, facing Salazar's lost heir and Salazar's ancient monster… If there was ever a moment for intervention, it is right now, and by all rights it is Salazar who should be intervening.

And yet.

There is nothing more recklessly like a Gryffindor than to be twelve-years old, with no wand, no reinforcements and no plan, and insult a powerful wizard who has just threatened to set a basilisk on you. Albus Dumbledore is certainly not the greatest wizard to ever live, but Salazar can excuse the exaggeration for the sake of the injury it does to Riddle's pride—especially since Salazar's own pride is about to take a hit of its own:

"Godric, I concede. He is truly one of yours. Now give the child your damn sword."


End file.
